Thiruppavai - Let us enjoy verse a day from morrow (16th Dec)- Introductory post

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Goapaledsika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Margazhi or Dhanur maasam is probably the best among months. It is the month

liked most by Sri Krishna- " MAsAnAm MargasIrshOham " says He in the Bhagavat

Gita. It is a cool and pleasant month. Tomorrow the month begins.

 

The major reason for the popularity of Margazhi is Tiruppavai, the emotional

outpouring of Kodai Nacchiar, consisting of 30 beautiful verses, recited one a

day during this month.

 

Let us enjoy Thiruppavai verse one a day…

Let us meditate on the lotus feet of Sri Godha piraaTTi by enjoying her glories

and by reciting her thaniyan before we venture into.

 

adiyEn would merely be a parrot (like Swami desikan said “kiLippiLLaiyai

pazhakkumAppolE..) reproducing what scholars have written. Sri Satakopan Swami

and Sri Anbil mama have granted permission to share their write up and

anubhavams.

 

adiyEn was reading enjoying Sri PerukaraNai swami’s wonderful exhaustive

commentary in Tamil two days ago and I thought would share with you specially

emphasizing on this commentary. Sri Satakopan swami had translated excerpts into

English and would be of great help to us.

 

Introduction:

 

Sri Anbil Ramaswamy swami says:

Jeeyar composed a famous 'Tanian' ( dedication verse) dedicated to Andal which

says-

 

" Tiruppavai will obliterate all sins and show us the feet of the Lord; it is

the very seed of all the Vedas. Those who do not know the 5 x 5 + 5 ( i.e) 30

verses of Tiruppavai are indeed an unnecessary burden whom the earth carries in

vain "

 

Pathakangal Theerkkum Paraman Adi Kaattum /

Vedam Anaithukkum Vithu Aagum-/

Kothai Tamizh Aiy Aiyndum Aiyndum /

Ariyaadha Maanidarai Vaiyam Sumappadum Vambu/ "

 

While Nammalwar's four works are said to be the essence of the four Vedas, these

30 verses of Andal constitute the very seed of ALL the Vedas and What it does?

It can destroy all our sins; It can show us the way to Moksham – all in

simple, chaste, understandable Tamil.

 

Some people gleefully criticize ours as a religion of abnegation, of

escapism, a negative religion of the recluse which always emphasized on the

'other worldly' with scant regard for what we need ' right here and now in this

world '. They fancy that ours is a religion of rigour, regret, remorse,

repentance and renunciation that takes away all the joy out of life rendering it

a saga of ' sack cloth and ashes ' all the way.

 

We would advise them to read Andal's Tiruppavai. Tiruppavai shows how ours is

the first and foremost religion which has the practical wisdom and pragmatism to

recognize the purpose of life both ' here and the hereafter'. Tiruppavai laid

down the principles and practices to make life on earth enjoyable, meaningful

and worthwhile - while unfolding the 'after-life' scenario in equally vivid

expressions.

 

Let us see some of her positive expressions-

Selva Sirumeergaal : Dear darling prosperous girls;

Vaiyathu Vaazhveerkaal : You who have come to live and prosper in this world;

Neengaatha Selvam Niraindhu : Securing bliss that does not diminish; Vaazha

Ulaginil Peithidaai : Rains that pour life into us ;

Poya Pizhaiyum Pugu Tharuvaan Ninranavum Theeyinil Thoosu Aagum : The Sanchita

and Prarabda Karmas extinguished like dirt burnt by fire; Ullam Kodhukalam

Udaiya Paavaai: Lady full of hope and enthusiasm;

TiruThakka Selvamum Sevakamum Yaam Paadi Varuthmum

Theerndu Magizhndu : By praying for undiminishing wealth and eternal service,

we can get rid of our grief and enjoy happiness;

Koodaarai Vellum Seer Govinda! : Govinda who can win over even dissidents;

Unthannodu Uravel Namakku Ingu Ozhikka Ozhiyaadu :Our relationship with you here

and hereafter can never be severed;

Enraikkum Ezhezh Piravikkum Unthannodu Utrome Aavom :

We will be with you ever and anon through any number of lifetimes;

Engum Thiru Varul Petru Inburuvar : You will obtain the grace of Mother

Goddess Mahalakshmi and enjoy life forever.

 

Sri VishNuchittha Kulanandana Kalpavalleem

Sri RangarAja Harichandana yOga dhrusyAm

SaakshAth KashamAm KaruNayA KamalamivAnyAm

GOdhAm ananya Sarana: SaraNam PrapadhyE

1st verse of GodhA sthuthi of Sswami Desikan

 

GodhA Piraatti is the wish-granting Kalpaka tree in flower garden of the kulam

of Sri VishNu Chitthar; She is most beautiful as She gives us Her darsanam as

the Karpaka creeper united with Her Lord Sri Rangarajan standing majestically as

the Harichandana tree in that Nandavanam; She is the incarnation of BhUmi Devi

known for Her auspicious qualities of forbearance; indeed, Godha is the

embodiment of forbearance; When it comes to the quality of Her Mercy, Godhai is

a veritable MahA Lakshmi (KamalA). I, who has no other refuge seek Her as my

sole refuge.

 

Below is extracted from Sri Satakopan Swami’s wonderful write up:

 

MahA VidvAn Sri U.Ve. ChakravarthyAcchAr Swamy has blessed us with one of the

most unique and brilliant commentaries on the 30 paasurams, which is 608 plus

pages long. This monograph was released at Chennai on October 2000 before a

group of distinguished Sri VaishNava AchAryAs and AbhimAnis.

 

1. ThiruppAvai is the meaning of " namO NaarAyaNAya " :

 

PeriyAzhwAr revealed the meaning of PraNavam through

his PallANDu Prabhandham. His daughter , ANDAL revealed

the meaning of " Namo NaarAyaNAya " through ThiruppAvai.

The Father and the Daughter revealed together the meaning

of the AshtAkshara Manthram . Therefore , we recite

ThiruppallANDu and ThiruppAvai every day of the year.

Marghazhi month is not an exclusive month for the recitation

of ThiruppallANDu and ThiruppAvai , since they are of

AshtAkshara manthra Japa Roopam .We recite them

during AarAdhana kaalam at every house as SaaRRumuRai.

During SaaRRumuRai, there is prominence for ThiruppAvai

(SiRRam SiRu kaalE ) after reciting ThiruppallANDu.

During AzhwAr , AchArya Thirunakshathrams , ThiruppAvai

has prominence as established through the divine

command of AchArya RaamAnujA ( RaamAnuja DhivyAaj~nA).

 

2. The Equality of(Saamyam of) ThiruppAvai with Upanishads

 

The Veda Siras is revered as Upanishads . Bhagavath GithA

is known as GithOpanishad just as ThiruppAvai is recognized as

GOdhOpanishad. ThiruppAvai is therefore a celebrated Upanishad.

Just as the Upanishads of Sruthis are not recited at night,

ThiruppAvai is not recited at night.

 

ThuLasi Devi is the Mother of ANDAL. PeriyAzhwar

is Her Father. EmperumAnAr is Her Elder Brother

(GOdhAgrajar). Lord RanganAthA is Her Husband (BharthA).

We are Her children. We are nourished by Her Sri Sookthi,

which is the Sthanyam ( Breast Milk) for us .Because of these

multiple connections , ANDAL's glories exceed those of

Sri Devi.

 

3. Vedam/Upanishads and ThiruppAvai

When VedAdhayanam is done, it starts and ends with

PraNavam. When we recite Tamizh MaRai of AzhwArs ,

we start and end with ThiruppAvai(SaaRRumuRai).

Thus ThiruppAvai becomes equal to the sacred PraNavam.

 

Sanskritic Vedams are like an earthern pot. It has asuddhi

when used by any one outside the Thrayi-VarNikAs.

ThiruppAvai and AzhwAr's prabhandhams are like a Golden pot .

They have no asuddhi if used by every one , independent

of their VarNams . Every member of the four VarNams are adhikAris

for Dhivya prabhandham in general and ThiruppAvai in particular.

 

KatOpanishad wakes up every one with the declaration:

" Utthishtatha, PrabhOdhatha , Jaagratha " .Vedam states that

the Vinais of Prapannan gets burnt without any trace just as

cotton bale , the thorny shrub thrown in the fire.ANDAL

gives us the same Vedic/Upanishadic message : " pOya pizhayum ,

puhu taruvAn ninRanavum , Theeyinil Thoosu aahum " .

 

4. ThiruppAvai and SanAthana-Saasthra Dharmam

In Our dharmam , we invoke the name of Hari , when we

get up ; we invoke the name of Kesavan, when we walk ;

we recite the name of GovindhA , when we eat ; We go to

sleep with the name of Madhavan on our lips. ANDAL

refers to these anushtAna Dharamas in Her ThiruppAvai:

" Hari yenRa pEraravam " , Kesavanaip Paadavum " ,

" GovindhA unn Tannaip paadi " , and " Vangak kadal

Kadaintha Maadhavanai " .

 

More on Her glories and thaniyans in next post.

AndAL ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan